Internationally known balladeer and storyteller Shelia Kay Adams and accomplished local musician Judy Rhodes will perform Friday, April 20, at Tusculum College.
The duo will bring one of the pillars of Appalachian music to the stage – ballads that have been used to tell stories and impart emotions in a distinctive sound born of the mountains. The performance will begin at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Perk in the Niswonger Commons. Tickets are $10 and seats are limited for the performance, which is part of the Old Oak Festival.
On Saturday, Adams and Rhodes will be conducting a ballad singing and performance coaching workshop at the Doak House Museum on campus. The workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Adams, an internationally known storyteller and balladeer from Madison County, N.C., will provide instruction in ballad singing for all ability levels. A self-styled keeper of the song traditions of the mountains, she performs English, Scottish and Irish ballads that have been handed down in her family for generations as well as other traditional stories.
A performer at major festivals, colleges and universities, Adams has also been featured in several documentary films and articles in printed publications and has lent her expertise to the production of the award-winning film, “Songcatcher.” She is an author and a talented musician on the five-string banjo.
Judy Rhodes will be assisting Adams in teaching the class. Rhodes is an accomplished musician and teacher, who is interested in discovering new ways to honor the traditional music of the region.
The fee for the class is $45, which includes materials and instruction. Workshop attendees can attend the Friday night performance for $5.
Following the workshop on Saturday, attendees can participate in an open mic time, beginning at 4 p.m., at the Pioneer Perk.
For more information, to reserve tickets for Friday’s performance or to make reservations for the workshop, please contact Leah Walker at 423-636-8554 or email lwalker@tusculum.edu.
The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are operated by the Department of Museum Program and Studies of Tusculum College. In addition to the museums, the department is responsible for the College Archives and offers one of the few undergraduate Museum Studies degree programs in the country. The two museums are also part of the National Historic District on the Tusculum College campus. Follow the museums on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest news and upcoming events or visit its Web site at www.tusculum.edu/museums to learn more about the variety of programs offered at the museums.